Force or Correction Reconditioning the dog’s mind.

“It doesn’t matter if you use the terms ‘force’ and ‘correction’ interchangeably until you try to explain how to recondition a dog back to running tests or trials after the dog has developed behaviors that prevent it from advancing,” Pete said. “For example, we know there are dogs that have not received the benefits of a program rooted in force that do a very reliable job at tests. But there are talented dogs playing the dog games that will not be able to succeed unless a systematic regimen of force has reconditioned them to be reliable performers; eradicating certain behaviors brought on by excitement. 

  “The official name for a correction is ‘positive punishment.’ It can be the yank and release of the leash, yelling, a swat with a heeling stick, or the introduction of anything the dog views as bad. These things will normally reduce the frequency of the undesired behaviors.